


The New Neighbors

by New_day



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Animal Abuse, Eat The Rude, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Hiding in Plain Sight, Homophobic Language, M/M, Murder, Murder Husbands, Neighbors, Original Character(s), POV First Person, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, loudly implied cannibalism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 10:43:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17000073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/New_day/pseuds/New_day
Summary: After surviving the fall, Hannibal and Will are hiding in plain sight, observed by a very attentive and curious neighbor.





	The New Neighbors

Maybe we've met, but you probably won't have noticed me. I'm just a nice old lady, and nobody notices nice old ladies.

I live in a small boring town where every day is the same and nothing ever happens.

Or should I say- happened? Because one day, something happened, and that was the day when the nice gay couple moved in across the street. 

***

It was the first gay couple in the neighborhood- or maybe the second one, there were two women a while back who were rumored to be lesbians, but nobody knew for sure. But these two were definitely a couple. My friend Ethel talked to the older one when they moved in, and he introduced himself as Dr Tavas and the other man as Mr Wilson, his husband. 

When Ethel told me about this, wrinkling her nose, I thought that when I was young, nobody would have ever guessed it would be possible one day for two men or two women to get married. Everything's different today, and I suppose that's a good thing, though I don't really get why anyone would want to get married in the first place. When I think of my husband...but I'd rather not think of him. Good riddance, that's all I'll say. 

Well, maybe I just didn't find the right person, but my new neighbors definitely did. I often watched them with my binoculars when they were outside, on the porch and in the garden, and I saw how they were smiling at each other, touching each other, holding hands, kissing, laughing... It always made me smile, I had never seen two people who were so in love. And then there was the one time when they forgot to close their bedroom curtains...well, let's say after that I knew exactly how well they got along with each other. 

But still, sometimes I wondered what they saw in each other, because they seemed quite different. The older one, Dr Tavas, was European, in his fifties, handsome and always dressed to the nines in his fancy three-piece suits. He was friendly and charming, always smiling and having a chat with the neighbors. The younger one, Mr Wilson, was American, in his forties, good looking as well and also well dressed, but more casually than his husband. He was the quieter one of the two, not unfriendly, but more reserved than his husband. Apparently, Dr Tavas used to be a doctor, but retired and was an author now, writing articles for scientific online magazines. Mr Wilson had a voluntary job at the local dog shelter. He was also good with his hands and often helped out in the neighborhood when something needed to be fixed, like a car or a washing machine. Everyone wondered what brought this couple here, and there was a lot of talking and gossiping. 

But all in all, they were quite popular in the neighborhood. They were always kind and polite, especially Dr Tavas, and they even invited everybody for dinner when they moved in. I didn't go, because I seldom leave the house and prefer to keep to myself, but Ethel did. Ethel doesn't like gay people- she didn't talk to her granddaughter for half a year when she found out about her girlfriend-, but she went anyway because she was curious. And afterwards, even Ethel admitted that the new neighbors “made a handsome couple” and seemed to be really fond of each other. According to her, Dr Tavas explained to his guests that sometimes his husband accompanied him to the opera, though he didn't really care for classical music. On the other hand, Dr Tavas accompanied Mr Wilson on his fishing trips, but spent most of the time not with fishing, but instead with drawing his husband. When Dr Tavas told this, his husband said that luckily, there was at least one passion they both enjoyed and could share, and the couple looked at each other and chuckled. 

“Of course everybody knew what “passion” he was talking about,” Ethel told me, making a face. “It was quite embarrassing. I really don't know why these people always have to be so obvious about these things.”

Ethel said that all over the house there were beautiful drawings of Mr Wilson, apparently drawn by Dr Tavas himself. 

“Apart from that, the house was quite gloomy and dark,” Ethel added, “And unusually decorated, with antlers and weird paintings, really artsy and odd. Probably Dr Tavas' taste, because he's European.”

She told me the food the neighbors served was delicious, the main ingredient being offal of different sorts. Really fancy dishes like in an expensive restaurant, Ethel said, and apparently, Dr Tavas had prepared every single dish by himself. He also played for his guests on the harpsichord and did everything to make them feel welcome and at home. Even is husband did his best to be social, offering food to the guests and talking to them about his job at the dog shelter.

So basically everybody in the neighborhood came to like the nice gay couple- well, everybody but one. This one person was Mr Simmons who lived next to them. Since his wife had left him, there was basically one single thing Mr Simmons was interested in, and that was his garden. He was always busy mowing the lawn, weeding, planting new flowers and plants, pruning bushes. Everything had to be perfectly trimmed, to a degree that seemed almost obsessive to me. Mr Simmons appeared to get along quite well with the new neighbors at first though, they didn't even complain when he was mowing the lawn early in the morning or on the weekend, like other neighbors did. Until one day, there was the incident with the dog.

The new neighbors had a dog, a very cute mutt, brown with darker spots and really sweet and friendly. Mr Wilson was always the one who walked him, and you could tell that he really loved the dog and that the dog was fond of Mr Wilson as well. All the neighbors smiled when they saw the dog and petted him, and even Mr Wilson was less reserved than usual when the dog was with him, but smiled back at the neighbors and talked to them. So everything was fine so far, until one day, there was this incident I was talking about. I didn't see it happen, because I was watching TV, but when I heard Mr Simmons scream, I quickly got my binoculars and looked out the window. I saw Mr Simmons, his face red with anger, holding the new neighbors' dog by his collar. He was standing at the front door of the couple's house, banged at the door and screamed: 

“YOUR UGLY MUTT SHAT IN MY GARDEN! KEEP HIM ON A LEASH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE! TAKE THE FUCK CARE OF YOUR FUCKING DOG, YOU FUCKING FAGS!” 

He let go of the collar and kicked the dog, completely losing his temper, and the dog cowered from him, whining. Only an instant later, the door opened, and Mr Wilson stormed out of the house and lunged at Mr. Simmons. He grabbed him by the neck and said something I couldn't understand, but Mr Simmons suddenly got pale and looked very anxious. I couldn't blame him, because Mr Wilson looked really scary, as if he was about to wring Mr Simmons' neck. At that moment, Dr Tavas stepped outside and quickly walked over to his husband and Mr Simmons. He said something to his husband, which, sadly, I couldn't understand as well. Reluctantly, Mr Wilson released his grip and let go of their neighbor, still glaring at him. Then the doctor talked to Mr Simmons in his friendly and polite manner, and although I couldn't hear a word, I got the impression that he was apologizing in behalf of the dog. Mr Simmons didn't seem angry anymore, just really scared, and he just nodded and quickly left the couple's property. When he was gone, Dr Tavas looked his husband in the eye and said something again, and Mr Wilson relaxed. He smiled, hugged and kissed his husband and petted the dog, and the three of them went back into the house.

There was never another incident like this. I guess the couple took care of their dog and made sure he didn't relieve himself in their neighbor's garden anymore. And even if they didn't, Mr Simmons probably didn't dare to do anything about it, because Mr Wilson had really scared him. So there wasn't another incident like this, but something else happened about three months later. Something I'll never forget.

***

I couldn't sleep that night, but was lying awake in bed when I suddenly heard some noise outside. This was unusual, because normally, it's dead silent at night in the cul-de-sac where I live. So I quickly got my binoculars and looked out the bedroom window, and there I saw them. 

Dr Tavas and Mr Wilson were in the garden, and they were carrying something, transporting it to the house. It was wrapped, in a carpet or a huge blanket, I couldn't really tell because it was almost dark, the streetlights emitting only a faint light. But when they carried the carpet or blanket or whatever it was to the front door and entered the house, they turned on the light in the hall, and that was when I really saw them.

They were both covered in blood, from head to foot, as if they had bathed in it. They let the wrapped thing drop to the floor in the hall, and then they looked at each other. I told you, I had already seen them once in their bedroom, and I had seen a lot then, but the way they were looking at each other at that moment...it was even more passionate, more intimate, it was as if they wanted to _devour_ each other. And then they started to kiss and rip each others clothes off and quickly closed the front door.

Mr Simmons disappeared that night and was never seen again.

***

A few weeks later, somebody rang my doorbell. I wondered who it could be, because as I told you, I like to keep to myself, and apart from my friend Ethel, hardly anybody ever stops by. Suspiciously, I opened the door and saw a man standing on my porch. He seemed tired and quite grim, though he was trying to be nice. He said that his name was Jack Crawford, and he used to be with the FBI.

“Sorry to bother you,” he said. “I hope you can help me, Ma'am. I'm looking for two men. One of them about fifty, gray hair, brown eyes, impeccably dressed. He has a peculiar accent and loves art and music and hosting dinner parties. The other one about ten years younger, blue eyes, dark hair, a bit strange, loves dogs. I understand they live in this neighborhood, do you happen to know where I can find them?”

I knew immediately that he was talking about the new neighbors, and I had a hunch that they were the reason why he seemed so tired and wasn't with the FBI anymore. I was also quite sure that I knew their whereabouts, because I had seen them leaving about an hour ago, both fancily dressed in tailor-made suits. Dr Tavas was adjusting his husband's tie with a smile, while Mr Wilson seemed slightly annoyed, and I figured that they were about to go to the opera.

“I think you mean Dr Tavas and Mr. Wilson,” I said. “They are my new neighbors, really nice people. Why are you looking for them, I wonder what such a friendly couple could possibly have to do with the FBI? Unfortunately, you just missed them. They left about an hour ago and told me that they were going on a fishing trip for the weekend and would only be back on Sunday night.”

The former FBI agent frowned at that, I could tell how angry and disappointed he was because he had missed them. Grumpily, without any further explanations, he thanked me for my help and left quickly, probably already wondering how to observe every single lake and river in the area.

***

Dr Tavas and Mr Wilson came back late that night. I watched them with my binoculars, and I knew I had to do something. Usually I keep to myself and don't socialize with my neighbors, except Ethel, but this was an exception.

So I braced up, walked over to their house and rang the doorbell.

Dr Tavas opened the door and gave me a slightly confused glance. “Yes?” he asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

“Sorry to be bothering you at such a late hour, Dr Tavas,” I said. “I'm your neighbor, Mrs Jenkins, I live across the street. I just thought I should inform you that someone rang my doorbell today. He was looking for you and your husband. He said that his name was Jack Crawford and he used to be with the FBI.”

When I said the former agent's name, I could tell that Dr Tavas got worried, though he tried not to show it, so I quickly said:

“Don't worry, you've got time to leave. I told him you were on a fishing trip and were only coming back Sunday night.”

“Why would we leave, Mrs Jenkins? And why did you lie about our whereabouts?” said Mr Wilson, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway next to his husband and was staring at me with a frown.

I suppressed a shudder, and suddenly I understood why Mr Simmons had been so scared of him. The way he was looking at me with a piercing glance was really unsettling, and the big scar on Mr Wilson's cheek made him seem even scarier.

“I...,” I stammered, “I just think that Mr Simmons...I never liked him.”

When I mentioned Mr Simmons, Dr Tavas, who had been friendly and polite so far, frowned as well, and looking at me suspiciously, he put a hand in his pocket, as if he was reaching for something.

I wondered if I should run as fast as I could, but instead, I added: “I don't care what happened to him, on the contrary. I really think he was...a terrible person. He was unfriendly and really mean to your poor sweet dog. All he ever cared about was his stupid garden. He was so rude, and I really don't like rude people.”

Dr Tavas and Mr Wilson both looked at me for a moment, obviously speechless, then they looked at each other and chuckled.

“It seems the three of us have quite a lot in common, Mrs Jenkins,” Dr Tavas finally said, smiling. “I'm pleased to meet a kindred spirit in this neighborhood, even though our stay here has come to an end, as you may have guessed already. We are much obliged to you for informing us and can't thank you enough.” His husband nodded, much friendlier now, and they both bade me goodbye and closed the door again.

They left for good that night, and the next morning, I found a little box containing homemade sausage on my doorstep, with a little note, saying: “Thank you for being a good neighbor. Best wishes and bon appétit, H. & W.”

***

I've never seen them again, but I hope they are doing alright. They were really nice people, not rude at all, like Mr Simmons. 

Or like my husband, who always complained about my food, but never set a foot in the kitchen to do the cooking himself. Who said “Your ass is getting fatter every day” and “I don't know why I married an old hag like you in the first place”, though he wasn't exactly a sight for sore eyes either.  
As I said, I really don't like rude people, and that's what I told him before he disappeared. Though technically, he didn't disappear, but is still here, right under the rosebushes on my front lawn.

They were really such a nice couple, the first gay couple in the neighborhood. And the only kindred spirits I've ever met. I really hope they're alright.

**Author's Note:**

> According to momjunction.com, “Tavas” is a Lithuanian boy's name of Hebrew origin and means “peacock”. :)


End file.
